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Group wifi settings - problems with streaming hi-res music

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Hello all - new to the community, and relatively new to Sonos, and I am looking for assistance. 

I have a group set-up in my living room consisting of a Playbase (connected by ethernet to a TP-Link powerline wifi adapter), a Sub (Gen 2) and two One SLs. All works perfectly with TV and streaming music Apple/Spotify etc) in standard resolution. 

I wish to stream hi-res music on this group - either Amazon HD or Quobuz - as I am impressed by the difference in audio clarity. I find that when I stream either of these services (through Sonos app), the first song plays, and then skips the last 8 seconds of the song and jumps to the next. Then, by the second or third song of the playlist, the music just comes through the Playbase (which has the ethernet connection) and the other speakers no longer play. If I skip back to the start of that particular track, then I get full surround again, but the whole problem happens again by the time of the next song.

Having read a bit on the web and in this forum, the indication is that this is due to wifi speed or settings, but I dont know what I need to change or optimise. If I check my wifi speed in the living room I get 90 Mbps download speed - which I reckon should be Ok - I also have no problem streaming Netflix HD from the same TP-Link Powerline). 

 

I have seen there are network settings to be made on the Sonos app that could help - but I am not sure what and how to change and would welcome any guidance on that. I also notice that if I group my living set-up with the Play:3 I have in my kitchen (which is older and therefore not S2 compatible) then the problem stops, but I am assuming that this is because the stream quality is reduced for all devices (??). 

If I stream music direct from either the Quobuz or Amazon Music HD apps (i.e. not through Sonos) then the experience is even worse with drops outs and skips on every song. Same if I download the songs. 

Sorry for the long, rambling post but I hope to have described the issue accurately. As said, I am no technophile and would welcome any simple guidance on things I can try to optimise my setup and enjoy the hi-res providers. 

Thanks

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Best answer by DerkleineEnglaender 21 April 2021, 19:59

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87 replies

ratty

I’d better stop treading on official toes, but I don’t see how the Sub location should be a problem. Besides, the internal temperature looks well within bounds.

Unless it's a runaway process slugging the CPU, I’d start wondering about an interrupt storm ...

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interrupt storm sounds exotic? What does that mean and what resolves it?

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Reconnected the Playbase and listening to Quobuz - second song dropouts 2144520550

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Different question/approach, which may save me some hassle and will allow me to listen to hi-res: 

  • Considering Quobuz is hi-res music, and I enjoy listening to music over my Sonos more than the films, I was thinking about setting up the two Play 1s with the Sub as group. I have read the sound stage is impressive and this may prevent the skipping
  • If I understand Sonos logistics correctly, then I would set that up as a group, disconnecting the Sub from the Playbase. 
  • This would mean that when I want to watch TV, it will be with the Plyabase only right? As you cannot connect that Sub to 2 different groups? This would be a marginal loss as I find the soundfield from the PB sufficient for films.

Would that be an option to work around the issue and save me requiring the additional Boost?

Welcome your opinions @ratty @Corry P or @Smilja as contributors so far on my journey through the Sonos networks :-)

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Interesting:

 

I set up a new „room“ (living room) as described above, pairing the Play 1s with the sub. Then streaming Quobuz at hi-res, 24 hz, and it is lossless, without skips and jumps, without having the Boost connected. Which would seem to indicate the Playbase was the blockage??

 

More interestingly, I have the Playbase now on its own (TV room), and for fun, added that room to the living room with the Sub/Play 1s, and now they are all streaming seamlessly, on a sound stage that feels as full as when the Playbase was driving it. Understand that this is probably not strictly 5.1, but for music that is less important and there is a nice balance in the room. 

Does any of this make sense? Diagnostics is 1745043439 in case it helps.

Corry P
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Hi @DerkleineEnglaender 

Your most recent diagnostics show that the CPU usage is no longer stuck at 100% on the Playbase and the internal temperatures have come down to a level I’m more happy with.

That Qobuz works without issue now certainly confirms that the Playbase was the issue, and it seems the satellites were it’s issue.

We want you to be happy with your system, so if you’re happy with it as is, then great.

If you’d like to get it working reliably in the previous configuration, I would try adding the satellites back on to the Playbase, and if it starts doing the same thing again, I recommend then removing the surrounds and Sub from the room, then factory reset the Playbase and set it up from scratch.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Thanks Corry for your continued assistance. In terms of sound stage, and particularly hi res music listening, do I lose anything with my current set up - grouping the PB with the Sub/Play1s - versus the original PB/Sub/Play1s theater set up? Or is it purely subjective listening. 

Depending on that, I may look into resetting the PB. I guess it is the most dated device in group but I don’t fancy upgrading it (as Sonos seems to want me to do) at such a price, so hope it will serve me a for a bit longer. 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
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Hi @DerkleineEnglaender 

In terms of sound stage, and particularly hi res music listening, do I lose anything with my current set up - grouping the PB with the Sub/Play1s - versus the original PB/Sub/Play1s theater set up? Or is it purely subjective listening.

This is tricky, as it’s not only down to your personal preference but also the environment that your speakers are in. Obviously, as you’ve pointed out, you’ll lose surround sound on movies and TV. In music terms, you may actually find the Playbase now produces more bass as before it would have relegated more of this to the Sub, which it is no longer aware of. I say if you prefer it then it’s better.

Depending on that, I may look into resetting the PB. I guess it is the most dated device in group but I don’t fancy upgrading it (as Sonos seems to want me to do) at such a price, so hope it will serve me a for a bit longer. 

An upgrade really shouldn’t be necessary, unless a factory reset doesn’t help in which case we’d probably look into replacement options. Of course, a replacement wouldn’t be an upgrade. I think a factory reset may indeed resolve the issue, as it seems the issue was a runaway process - presumably due to a small piece of data somewhere in configuration file getting corrupted (at a guess).

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Curious to see if a reset would allow me to go back to the 5.1 set up, I reset the PB and added back in the Sub and Satellites. Unfortunately, first track I played did the quiet 8 seconds thing, and then the second just came out of the Playbase (so back to square 1 :disappointed_relieved: ) . Diagnostics is 977567435 in case you can look into it @Corry P . Thanks

Corry P
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Hi @DerkleineEnglaender 

It’s maxing out on the CPU usage again, as I’m sure you guessed.

At this point, all I can do is refer you to our technical support team, and I highly recommend you tell them about this thread to save yourself some time.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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I am speaking to tech now, and they are looking for a case number. He cannot find the CPU usage data either. Any way of helping him or putting you in touch with each other?

Corry P
Userlevel 7
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Hi @DerkleineEnglaender 

Sorry, I was in a meeting. 

I don’t create cases, so you won’t have an existing case in relation to this thread - just the one you started on the 24th via chat.

I’ll add some notes to that case for you.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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